Picking a God
by IoSolUno
Summary: As a rock star, Jace Herondale has never had to work for the attention of a woman. One night in the strip club Pandemonium changes all that as he suddenly finds himself competing with his old rival for the heart of a small red head. Eventual Clace, some Clabastian in the beginning as well. AU/AH OOC. Rating M for language and possible lemons.
1. Chapter 1 - Not Just a Club

**AN: This is my first attempt at writing a fanfiction, and will probably be slow to update, but it's been stuck in my head for a while and I had to get it out. The inspiration came from several songs which will be placed throughout the story, but the main song is Porn Star Dancing by My Darkest Days. While I may include lyrics in some places, I wont place entire songs in my story, that always drives me nuts. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story, and please let me know what you guys think!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.**

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It had been a long day in the studio, trying to write new songs for their upcoming album, and all Jace wanted to do was find somebody to screw the stress away with. Jonathon and Jordan decided to him up a busy bar, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with the paparazzi tonight, so instead he finally took Alec up on his old offer to check out Magnus' club. Between the long line out the door of Pandemonium, and the high number of hot women waiting outside, the last thing Jace was expecting when they cut through the line at the doors was a strip club.

His jaw immediately dropped as he took it all in, blindly following Alec, who kept glancing back at him with a smirk. It appeared his best friend, and bassist, had left out a crucial piece of information while trying to drag him here all these months. One mention of this and he would have been here _immediately_. The place wasn't like anything he'd ever seen. The walls were a deep dark red, the seats plush black, all of the tables had glass tops, and while on the surface it appeared typical, it was anything but. Everything screamed clean, safe and _rich._

"It's only a strip club on the weekends," Alec began to explain. "The rest of the time the girls put on a burlesque show, and occasionally there's even a band that plays live."

Jace was in awe, this place really was like nothing else. They had finally made their way to the bar and he ordered a whiskey, while turning on his stool to watch the show. There were several girls on stage dancing on poles and tables while Girls, Girls, Girls blasted through the speakers. He began to realize why the club was so busy, these were definitely some of the best strippers he had seen. While he looked around he noticed that every seat was filled, which the majority of eyes watching the show. His eyes eventually turned back to one of the dancing blondes and he noticed her staring at him with bright blue eyes. He quickly let one of his famous smirks loose, earning him a seductive wink. Just as he was about to move closer to better enjoy the show, he was halted in his tracks by a giddy voice he knew too well.

"Alec! You finally managed to drag him with you I see." He turned to see Magnus, Alec's fiancé, standing nearby with an arm draped over his best friend. "So, now that you've seen it, what do you think?" However, before he could even consider answering he was cut off. "WAIT! You have to see the main course first, before you make any judgements. And luckily, you've just in time." He continued, with a knowing grin, just as the music changed.

Jace looked back to the stage to see all the girls had disappeared and a single spotlight was lighting up with the center pole. Everyone in the club immediately turned to watch and silence settled over the room as Cherry Pie began to play. "Enjoy the show," he could hear the grin in Magnus' whisper, but he was already captivated by the tiny girl that stepped on stage. Her bright red curly hair and small stature instantly set her apart from any woman he'd ever seen. Standing there, you'd think she had no right to be on the stage, she looked so sweet and innocent, and when she looked up, he saw the deep green eyes, that he knew would be haunting his dreams that night. But then she began to move to the song, and it was unlike anything he knew possible. Instantly he understood that the club was created with her in mind, and no one else, and that she was the real reason there was a line out the door. Her movements held both the innocence and grace of a ballet dancer, and yet managed to play on every erotic fantasy he'd ever had.

For what felt like an eternity, but must have only been a split second, their eyes locked, and he became instantly grateful that he had always been friendly with Magnus, for he planned to use that connection as much as necessary to spend time with this girl. All too soon the song was over, and he suddenly realized that somewhere along the way she had stripped to just a black lace bra and thong. How had he missed that? He had been so caught up in her movements and eyes that he missed her stripping! He awoke from his internal questioning to the shouts of the crowd screaming out "Cherry!" and was sadly reminded of where he was. He finally turned back around to Magnus and Alec who each had big proud smiles on their faces. "You should have dragged me here sooner," he told Alec, pointing at him accusingly. "And you," he turned to Magnus with a grin, "your club is officially my new favorite spot. Very nice job Magnus, I may never leave."

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 **So there's the first chapter. Let me know what you think with a review!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Cherry?

**AN: Wow! I can't believe how many people have read and followed this story already! I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes this idea, I just hope you continue to enjoy it! Thank you for the reviews as well, I appreciate all the comments and tips I received! Keep them coming!**

 **This story is un-beta'd so any errors are 100% mine, and I will eventually go back and edit previous chapters to fix any mistakes I find myself, so if you see a glaring issue, don't hesitate to let me know.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.**

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Jace and Alec spent the rest of the weekend and the next back at Pandemonium. Alec had tried to invite the rest of the band to join them, but Jordan had started seriously seeing some chick named Maia, and figured a strip club wasn't the best place to spend his nights if he didn't want to sleep alone. Jonathon didn't explain why he wouldn't join them, except to say he had been banned from going there by someone he knew, and they knew better than to push it. Secretly, Jace was ecstatic they weren't going, while he knew he was good looking, and caught the eye of every girl he talked to, the others never failed with women either, and he dreaded any competition for the sweet but fiery red head.

Over the week he had seen her dance several times, and walked away mesmerized after each show. He had tried repeatedly to get Magnus to introduce them, almost reducing himself to begging, but the glittery man seemed to have endless excuses as to why she was unavailable. And so he had been forced to settle for alternative distractions, most commonly in the form of Kaelie, another stripper at the club who was without a doubt hot, but not quite the red head he desired.

Kaelie was good at distracting him, always eager to take him to a dark corner if her shift wasn't over soon enough. Sure, she was a bit crazy, that much was obvious from the get go. He could instantly see how jealous she was of Cherry, but it was hard to judge her too harshly for that when even he was using her as a place holder for the red head. So he dealt with her insane clinginess just so he could get laid, while he waited for the girl he really wanted to be available.

Finally, everything changed on his second Saturday night in the club. Like every night so far, he sat at the bar with Alec watching the girls that served as appetizers to the main event. As soon as she was off stage, Kaelie tried to convince him to skip the main course, offering him a free ride in a private room, to which he quickly declined, sending her away in a huff. He watched Cherry command the attention of everyone in the room, and as soon as she left the stage he immediately resumed his relentless begging of Magnus to arrange an introduction. After hearing yet another excuse for the night, Jace finally gave up and resigned himself to just enjoy the show around him.

Suddenly a flash of red caught his eye moments before is tackled into Alec next to him. He turned to see his best friend beaming down at the red head in his arms. She was even smaller in person, and though he could only see her from the side, and her face was buried in Alec's shirt, he would recognize that body and hair anywhere. _Cherry_.

"Alec! I can't believe you're here! Why haven't you been backstage to say hi to me?" She pouted while staring up at him, never dropping her arms that hung around his best friend. Jace finally shook himself out of his shock at her sudden appearance to take note of what she was wearing. Unlike the rest of the girls that worked the club, she didn't appear to be working for tips. Her short jean shorts that barely covered her ass, and tight green tank top helped her fit in more with the patrons than the staff. His confusion of her attire only grew when he finally realized he had never seen her working anywhere but on the stage. Despite all this, he noted, her lack of lingerie did nothing to diminish his desire for her.

Finally, Jace zoned back into the conversation around him, managing to catch the end of Alec's response to her, "-if you ever came out from back stage to greet your friends." It seemed like a harsh comment at first until Jace saw his friend wink at the small girl with a smile.

"Well I would have if I had seen you," Cherry responded with a guilty pout, "but it's hard to see anyone in this room when Seb throws a hissy fit if I dare to make eye contact with any other men in his presence." Jace scoffed at the statement, and suddenly found a pair of green pools glancing at him with a smirk. _Finally, she notices me,_ he thought.

"Well Biscuit," Magnus was quick to put in, pulling the attention away from Jace, much to his disappointment, "If you didn't continue to sleep with the bastard, he'd eventually get the hint that you aren't his."

"But you don't understand," the red head whined, finally releasing Alec only to lean over the bar, extending her arms out like she was pleading with him. "His tongue is magical. How can I possibly let that go?" She asked with a grin. Jace nearly chocked on the whiskey he had poorly chosen to take a sip of just then. "Besides, there is never sleep involved, I get off and then I get out. I've never claimed to be his. Hell the boy still calls me _Cherry_."

Jace found himself feeling a confusing mix of relief and anguish upon hearing this. She had a man, but she didn't consider it anything serious, meaning he still stood a chance to take her home. On the flip side, he also didn't know her real name, and it suddenly occurred to him that in all his begging to Magnus, he had failed to ask for such a seemingly small, albeit important detail. Instantly he knew he had to learn it, and everything else about this tiny fireball.

Just as he was turning to finally speak to the girl, with his panty-dropping smirk in place, she squeaked, "Shit! He's coming over here, I have to go before he sees me. I'm out Mags. But I'll see you later Alec. I'm spending the night with Izzy, and I expect you to join us." She quickly pecked both men on the cheek and began to sprint off before glancing back with a cocky smirk and a wink, "See you next show Blondie."

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 **And here's chapter 2. I'm planning on keeping this outside of Clary's POV for a while, but eventually we'll see her thoughts as well. The next chapter will take longer to get up, I'm honestly shocked I managed to get this one up so quickly, but I hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **Let me know what you guys think, the good, the bad, the ridiculous. And let me know if there's something specific you guys want to see and I'll consider including it if it fits!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Sebastian

**AN: Wow, I am blown away by the response for this story so far! Thank you everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and put this story on alert.**

 **This chapter is going to focus on Seb, so we can see a different side of the story, so there will be some lemons, but it's all at the end. Just so you're warned. Enjoy!**

 **Update: After being taunted by a friend that read this, I went back and expanded on the lemon at the end, adding more detail. It's my first lemon, so hopefully I did alright.**

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Sebastian was growing increasingly annoyed as he searched the strip club for his girl. He thought she was smart enough to figure out by now that he wanted to see her after her dance. She was so damn sexy up there twirling around that pole, wrapping her legs around it like she had him just the night before. Between that and their pre-show meet up he was horny as hell, and getting angrier when she wasn't immediately available to take care of him.

He thought he had seen her over by the bar a minute before, but when he made his way through the crowd to it, she was gone. He huffed in irritation and glared at the flamboyant boy behind the bar. "Where is she Magnus?" he demanded, ignoring everyone else around him.

"She's gone already Sebastian," Magnus stated, sounding bored while he rolled his eyes. "She had to get home, and before you ask, no, I won't tell you where that is or call her for you. You'll just have to come back next time she's working if you want to catch her again."

Sebastian squinted his eyes at the boy, glaring while trying to determine if he was telling the truth. When the glare failed to intimidate him, he just let out a low growl of frustration. Finally, he looked around him, trying to determine if any other girls looked like they might be decent enough to take his red head's place. But as he turned his head, he caught sight of a smug blonde man instead.

"Herondale," he gritted out through his teeth. Of all the people he could run into at the moment, it had to be the smug golden boy himself. _Figures_ , he thought with a huff.

The two of them had been competing in everything since both their bands got signed by the same label in the same month. They were both from Los Angeles, sang lead for their bands, and even played similar music. The record label thought the competition would be healthy for them originally, figuring they would be encouraged to produce more if pitted against each other. Instead, the only thing it had resulted in was several fist fights and broken bones for both band members.

Everyone assumed they first met after the signing, but he had known of Jace Herondale long before then. The arrogant boy had slept with every girl in the area before he could get to them, and he was constantly being compared to the golden boy. Then to make matters worse, Jace had slept with his cousin Aline. Not that he cared who she slept with, or that she was heartbroken when he didn't call her back, he was just sick of hearing her talk about Jace nonstop for 3 weeks. By the end of it he loathed the boy with every fiber of his being.

So when he saw his nemesis standing at the bar looking amused at his frustrations, it took everything he had to simply utter his name, and not throw a punch at the smug face.

"Sebby," Jace responded gleefully. "Having girl problems? Ya know, when a girl doesn't call you back, and starts avoiding you, it usually means she's just not that into you. You'd think you would be used to the rejection by now. You've had enough experience between girls and your music."

"I might think that was the case, if I didn't still taste her on my lips," he responded with his cockiest grin. Knowing he won, he turned back to Magnus behind the bar. "Let her know I'll be in Monday," he said, trying to hold in his anger from before. "I want to talk to her about one of our songs."

"You know her rules Verlac," Magnus stated with complete disinterest, examining his nails. "If she's in the video, she alone gets to use the song in her show." This just made him grin wider, he knew her rule and was counting on it. There would be nothing hotter than watching her strip to his voice.

With that, he quickly nodded his understanding before turning back around and heading into the room to find a suitable substitute for the evening. Just because his Cherry wasn't available didn't mean he was going home alone.

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When Monday came around Seb made sure to take his band's other guitarist, Raphael, with him to meet Cherry at the club. He knew he would have to sell her on the idea of starring in his video, and Raphael was the only other member of the band she got along with.

Last time he made the mistake of bringing their drummer, Camille, thinking she would make his Cherry feel more comfortable than a man could. Instead his old friend spent the whole time trying to talk down to the stripper, not hiding her disgust at all. In the end she left in a huff after failing to get any reaction out of his red head, other than a sweet smile and a definite "No," to working with them.

He also knew better than to bring Meliorn. While he was a decent bassist, the man had no charm, instead he just came off as creepy, which was the last thing needed in a strip club during off hours. So with no options left, he opted for Raphael, and prayed the man knew better than to try to steal his girl.

They walked into the club just after noon. Everything had been rearranged for the Burlesque show they put on during the week. The poles in the stage were removed to allow more room for the girls to dance, and band equipment was set up to the left for the live music. He had seen the show once or twice, and while it was entertaining, he didn't understand why guys would prefer that to seeing the girls stripping. Especially his Cherry.

While they walked through the room looking for Cherry, his eyes took in the many pretty girls walking and sitting around, several of which were dressed in their sexy costumes. He grinned as 2 matching pairs of brown eyes winked at him. _The twins. Now there was a fun night_ , he thought. They were wearing a matching set of pale pink corsets and white fishnets held up by garter belts, the light colors enticing when in contrast with their dark skin. Any other time he would have escorted them into a back room, but he was there for a reason this time. Cherry.

The boys made their way to the lounge area where a mess of red curls lay against a black velvet sofa. As was always the case when he spotted her, he wanted her instantly. His mind flashed back to their last rendezvous, back stage before her show Saturday night.

 _He had wandered back to talk to her about the music video, but as soon as his eyes had raked over her in the black lace bra and thong, he couldn't keep his lips off of her. He attacked her mouth while pushing her against a wall. Their lips collided, and instantly their tongues began to battle for dominance. His hands reached for her hair before she caught them and lowered them to her hips. He knew she hated him messing with her hair before she went on stage, but it was one of his favorite things about her and he hated not being able to run his fingers through the curls. Instead, his fingers squeezed at her hips before one of his hands moved to her thong, pushing it aside. He finally released her mouth to take in a breath of air while moving to her neck, licking down her collar bone. His fingers plunged into her and with his free hand he began to reach for a condom from his back pocket. But, as usual, she took control of the situation and he swiftly found himself on his knees in front of her, providing her relief while he was left wanting. He never argued though, nothing tasted quite as sweet as her._

 _Both of his hands went back to her hips to hold her in place while his tongue moved inside her. She fisted her hands in his hair, guiding him where she needed him most, and he quickly felt her come undone above him. He licked her clean, savoring her sweet taste and relishing in the knowledge that she was so turned on by him. Just as he was standing up, preparing to push into her, she fixed her thong, grabbed a short skirt and shirt to put on, and ran onto stage. His only consolation was knowing that her erotic scent that would be driving the men crazy, was all thanks to him._

He was snapped out of his memory when the girl he came to see finally turned around, smirking at him as if she knew exactly what had just been on his mind. "So Seb, I hear you have a song for me."

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 **AN: So what do you guys think of Sebastian? I don't think I've ever read anything from his POV before, so it was all from my head. But we got to see why he hates Jace so much, and later we'll get to see the other side of the feud.**


	4. Chapter 4 - Crazy Bitch

**AN: This chapter is from Kaelie's POV, and she's always seemed like a bitch to me, which is a LOT of fun to write. But that also means there will be a lot of swearing, even in her head. Between this and the probability of future lemons, I've raised the rating to M, just to be safe.**

 **Thank you those of you that reviewed the last chapter, I get a big grin whenever I get an alert for a review, it just makes this all so much more fun to do, and encourages me to write more. That being said, the updates will probably slow down a bit. I have a couple of later chapters done, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get to those points.**

 **This chapter includes the first song: Crazy Bitch – Buck Cherry  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare, and the lyrics belong to the band.**

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That bitch had yet another song written about her. What the actual fuck!

She just couldn't understand why all the boys seemed to fawn over the red headed bitch with the body of a 12-year-old boy. Sure she acted innocent, even picked a name that hinted at it, but it was pretty damn obvious she was just hiding her true sluty nature.

Kaelie, on the other hand, was exactly as advertised. She was a burlesque dancer Monday-Thursday, and stripper on the weekend. Of course she put out. All the guys knew it, it seemed stupid to pretend otherwise. At 5'8, with legs that went on for miles and curves that could make a circle blush, she was a blonde goddess. She was the epitome of every college boy's fantasy. So what the hell was everyone's fascination with the tiny Cherry?!

Kaelie was only a year older than the girl who still looked to be 14, and had a lot more experience, between the burlesque shows and stripping. Yet somehow 'Cherry' got the main event. The club was literally created with her in mind. It made no sense!

She absolutely hated the girl. Originally the tiny tot had just been a minor nuisance. If Magnus wanted to make the her his main girl, that was fine with Kaelie. He was the one who would suffer, while she still made bank with her tips. But after her fourth regular decided to stop spending extra time with her just to _watch_ the little girl, she had enough.

Then the girl started getting songs written about her. Just what the pint size needed, more guys stroking her ego, over _nothing_! When Sebastian quit screwing Kaelie to start pursuing _her_ , it was the final straw. She vowed to never lose another guy to Carrot Top again.

This was getting ridiculous though. Sebastian had screwed half the girls in the club, and continued to do so when his precious 'Cherry' wasn't around, and yet he wrote a song for her! And of course, he wanted her to star in the music video for it, despite what it would cost him. Cherry was a conniving bitch after all. She had a deal with all the guys that if she was in their music videos dancing, she got the sole rights to use the song for stripping, and she was allowed to rerelease the song should she ever choose to. No one had even taken her up on the deal before.

But of course Sebastian did. A week later, Cherry was done filming the video, and working on a new dance to incorporate the song into her show.

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It had been a month since Sebastian had gone to the club with the new song, and Cherry was due to perform her new show. Kaelie knew Jace would be there, he had only missed a single performance since his first night, and that was only because his band had worked a little later than usual. Even Magnus' little boyfriend wasn't around as much as Jace. But while Kaelie loved to see her blonde god, she knew deep down he was really only there for the stupid red head. And so tonight, she knew she had to keep him away from the show.

She was not going to lose another man to _her_!

Kaelie finished her turn on stage, quickly changed into a super short, plaid black and gold skirt, and a white button up that hung open, revealing her lace black bra. She finished off the look with thigh high white socks and 6 inch black boots. If he wanted innocent, she could play school girl for him. She made her way over to his spot at the bar and immediately climbed on his lap. He was with her every night he was there, but never before seeing Cherry dance. Tonight she was determined not to wait.

While the next set of girls started dancing, she began nibbling on his ear, hearing him groan while she whispered seductively to him, "I've been extra naughty today, I think I need to be punished." She ran her nails down the front of his shirt, until she reached his belt. When she felt his bulge twitch, she grinned confidently, "Why don't you take me to a private room to teach me a lesson."

He raised his hands to her waist, and she knew she had him. She began to suck on his ear again until he tightened his grip. "Oh you'll be punished, but later. I'm not done watching the show yet." She sat back in disbelief and huffed off his lap. Just as she was about to make some snappy remark, the stage lighting changed, signaling the start of the main event. Jace was oblivious to her presence, yet again.

She turned and saw the girl standing on stage, one tiny hand wrapped around the pole. She was wearing a skimpy police uniform: tiny navy blue pleated skirt, with a bright blue shirt tied in the front instead of buttoned, and a gold bra barely peeking out. And of course, her feet were bare. Despite her lack of height, the tiny tot refused to ever wear heels. _What an idiot_ , she scoffed. It was a new song Kaelie had never heard before, but she instantly recognized the voice. Sebastian Verlac. Obviously this was the newest song from his band, The Endarkened.

 _Break me down, you got a lovely face  
We're going to your place  
And now you got to freak me out  
Scream so loud, getting fuckin' laid  
You want me to stay, but I got to make my way_

Hey, you're a crazy bitch  
But you fuck so good, I'm on top of it  
When I dream, I'm doing you all night  
Scratches all down my back to keep me right on (X2)

Take it off, the paper is your game  
You jump in bed with fame  
Another one night paid in full, uh  
You're so fine, it won't be a loss  
Cashing in the rocks, just to get you face to face

Kaelie looked back to Jace to see his reaction, knowing he would recognize the band. Everyone knew the bands were rivals in every way. She just hoped this would be enough to get him to give up his obsession with the tiny red head, so she could enjoy him more. When she saw his face torn between pure hunger and defeat, she knew she had won.

Satisfied with the outcome, she made her way into the back of the club, refusing to watch the girl on stage. But that didn't stop her from hearing the song, which even she had to admit made a great song to strip to. It was a shame she would never get the chance.

 _Hey, you're a crazy bitch  
But you fuck so good, I'm on top of it  
When I dream, I'm doing you all night  
Scratches all down my back to keep me right on (x2)_

 _Baby girl, you want it all  
To be a star, you'll have to go down  
Take it off, no need to talk  
You're crazy but I like the way you fuck me_

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 **AN: So what do you think of Kaelie? And what do you guys think about including the song lyrics? I hate when entire songs are listed, so I'm trying to break them up and not include all of it, and every chapter won't have them. This song is just a key piece in how Sebastian views their relationship.**

 **It seems like poor Jace is giving up… but probably not for long since this will eventually be Clace… It's just fun to toy with him a little first.**

 **Review and tell me what you think. The good, the bad, the things that make you say 'WTF mate?'**

 **-BB**


	5. Chapter 5 - Lil' Red Head

When Monday rolled around, Jace found himself back in the studio with his band, The Shadowhunters, still in a shitty mood from the weekend. Normally he could clear his mind just by entering the space, but he could still picture her in his mind and it wouldn't go away.

It was killing him to picture her dancing to Sebastian's voice. It felt wrong. That voice did not belong anywhere near those swinging hips. It didn't belong with that sultry pout. And it definitely should not have been what caused his body to heat the way it did when matched with the sight of her. It angered him profoundly. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get the whole experience out of his head.

They were supposed to be writing new songs and working toward recording a new album, but his heart just wasn't in it at the moment. He was tempted to just lie down and nap on the comfy couch they had set up in the room, when Jordan came barreling into the seat next to him carrying his laptop.

"Dude, have you seen The Endarkened's new video? There's a hot lil' red head in it. And... hot damn…" Jordan paused, lost in his thoughts with a grin on his face.

Jace's head whipped around to face his drummer, mouth hanging open. Seeing his look of shock, Jordan's grin grew as he spun the laptop for Jace to see, and started the video.

Jace instantly hated it. He could hear Sebastian's voice before he saw his face, and recognized the song immediately as the one that had been plaguing his thoughts for the last 2 days. He glanced up from the screen when he saw Alec and Jon enter the studio, walking across the room, laughing with each other. He was about to turn back to the screen, as much as he didn't want to, when he heard the chorus begin, but he halted when he saw Alec tense and glance at Jon with a pained look. Jon didn't seem to notice and continued toward the pair on the couch.

"That Endarkened's new video?" He asked with a smile, but displaying only mild interest. This was typical, whenever a band they knew released a new song or video, the band would sit around together and watch. When the bad was the Endarkened, they made sure to tear apart every aspect of each song and video, trying to determine how to be better. The rivalry between the two bands was filled with more hatred than people seemed to realize.

Jace turned back to the screen and saw a tiny red head twirling around a stripper pole in a skimpy police uniform. It was less revealing than the one she had worn at the club on Saturday, but managed to get him just as turned on as before. He watched her body spin and twist and bend in ways that shouldn't be possible, dancing around the police station, as well as on top of Sebastian's lap, all while the band played in the back ground. He couldn't see her face, it seemed like he hadn't seen it once throughout the whole thing, her hair always getting in the way, or her back to the camera, but he knew without a doubt it was her. He would recognize his red head's body anywhere. _Wait,_ his _red head? Where did that come from... Not that he would be opposed to it, it just wasn't true yet…_

He was pulled from his inner thoughts as he heard a sharp intake of breath followed by a quiet and short "FUCK" from behind him. He turned to see Jon standing behind him, looking both worried and pissed, gripping the top of the couch so hard, Jace thought it might rip.

"Jon…" Alec began, standing in front of the couch, slowly approaching Jon, his gaze unwavering.

Jon looked back up at Alec, and all the emotion in his eyes seemed to double, "FUCK!" he shouted. Then he tore his phone out of his pocket and stabbed his fingers onto the screen, storming off back across the room muttering the whole time, "fuck, fuck, Fuck!" He marched out the door and just before the door slammed closed Jace thought he heard, "damnit red."

Jace turned back to look at his band mates and found Alec staring off at the door as well, shoulders tense, hands in his pockets, looking like he wasn't sure what to do. Jordan, on the other hand, was still staring at the laptop and watching the video, oblivious to everything that had just happened.

"Damn, I wish my girl could move like that. I could watch this video on repeat just to watch her dance, though I may have to put it on mute so I don't have to hear that prick's voice. I mean, she seems a lil' tiny, but the fire she puts out… damn. That'd be one hell of a ride." Jordan carried on, not noticing the tension in the room, nor the lack of attention the other two were paying him.

Finally, Jordan looked up and scanned the room. "So when's Jonny boy gonna get here? We need to get started on some new songs, preferably something we can have more hot girls dancing to," he added with a grin.

* * *

 _JON'S POV_

"What the hell were you thinking Red? What if he sees this? You know he's still looking for you!" Jon shouted into the phone, pacing outside the studio door. His fists were clenched and he wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of something, some _one_. He couldn't believe how stupid she'd been! All these years of keeping her safe, and she was throwing it all away to be in a stupid video.

"It's been 9 years, Jon, my face is never shown, and any credits will list me as 'lil Red' as usual. He won't have any clue it's me, even if he does see it." She paused, and he could hear her take in a big breath, trying to calm herself before continuing on as if _he_ were the nuisance. "It's fine. Calm down and just go back to your life. You haven't been interested in my life before, so don't pretend you are now. You're just mad that it was Endarkened's video. Get over it." And then she hung up. He could still hear the anger and hurt in her voice, but it made him feel anything but guilty.

Jon was left vibrating with anger. Didn't she know he was trying to keep her safe? What the hell did she mean he wasn't interested? Of course he was, she was all he cared about, but he had to stay away to keep her safe. She knew that!

With one final growl of frustration, he went back inside to work with his band, refusing to talk about any of it. He would fix it on his own, he didn't need to let anyone else in.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry for the wait everyone! I wasn't sure where to go with this story, but I finally figured out more of what I want to do, so hopefully it'll be updated a little quicker now. This was a crazy week for me as well, but now that it's over I should have more time to write.**

 **So we finally get to meet the Shadowhunters! And catch a glimpse of Jon. Tell me what you guys think. Who is Jon worried about, and why? What do his band members know of it all? And when will Jace finally get to interact with his favorite little red head? All this and more, will be revealed.**

 **Eventually.**

 **Thank you for the reviews and follows, each alert I receive makes me smile and want to write more! Keep them coming!**

 **-BB**


	6. Chapter 6 - Casual Sex

**AN: This chapter includes lyrics from Casual Sex – My Darkest Days.**

Jace sat on a stool in the studio, fingers wrapped around the neck of his guitar, playing to clear his mind. He held his favorite guitar: a 3-tone starburst Fender American Vintage '65 Stratocaster made for a lefty. He had dreamed of owning that guitar since he started playing, but could never afford it. So while the rest of the guys spent their signing bonus on booze and chicks, or a shopping spree for his sister in Alec's case, Jace immediately purchased his dream guitar, retiring his old Squire.

His purchase was beautiful, and completely worth it. Every time he picked up the guitar his mind instantly cleared. Whenever he had too much to think about, he could finally escape just by wrapping his fingers around its neck. With all that had been going on for him lately, that was definitely needed.

They had been in the studio all week, working on the new album, still struggling to find their final few songs. He had started writing one about Cherry, but after Jon's reaction to Sebastian's video, he wasn't sure if now was the best time to share it. He still didn't know what the hell that was all about and it was driving him nuts. He didn't know what to make of it. Was it the song they played? The video itself? Or… was it the girl? Did he know Cherry, and if so how? He never went to the strip club, he even said he'd been banned, so how the hell did he know the girl?

Jace continued strumming his guitar, debating whether or not to share his song with his bandmates, when Alec walked in, nervously holding music sheets. Jace looked up slightly confused but mostly intrigued, Alec had never written a song for them before, claiming his creativity only went so far as to play what others created.

Alec approached the area Jace was in, and Jordan and Jon made their way over from the couch where they had been looking stuff up on Jordan's laptop. Jace carefully sat his guitar down to stand with the other two, eagerly awaiting Alec's new song, wondering what inspired this first.

"So I have a new song for us," Alec began a little shakily, as he passed the music sheets to their respective players.

"Casual Sex… Is there something we need to tell Magnus, Alec?" Jordan teased him with a smirk.

Jon and Jace both laughed and then looked over the music. It was good, definitely something he would enjoy playing and singing, he just wasn't sure where Alec had come up with it. He picked his guitar back up and started strumming the chords on the sheet. Just reading through the music, he could already tell the song would be a hit.

"Seriously though," Jordan continued, "it's good, when'd you write this?"

Alec paled just a little, "I, uh, didn't…" he trailed off nervously.

"Then who did?" Jace asked as he looked up at his friend, fingers pausing on the strings.

"Lil' Red…" Alec said, looking up at Jon who just groaned audibly.

"Damnit. It's good too!" Jon growled out rolling his head back.

"Okay, who the hell is 'Lil Red' and since when do we play other people's music? And how did you get him to let you have his song? What's this gonna cost us?" Jace was completely confused now, to his knowledge they had always written their own songs, and he didn't like the idea of changing that now. But, he had to admit, it was a really catchy song, and he was itching to play it, he just didn't like feeling like he owed someone for his music.

"We don't have to pay anything, just a small recognition in the credits" Jon answered, although hesitantly it seemed. "They've actually written quite a few of our songs, I just usually get them first…" he trailed off, glaring at Alec who still looked nervous. And with that lackluster explanation given, Jon picked up his own guitar and started strumming the first few chords.

Realizing they weren't going to get any more of an explanation, Jace sat back down and played along, while Jordan grabbed his drum sticks and sat behind his set. Finally, Alec exhaled what seemed a sigh of relief and his shoulders relaxed as he grabbed his bass. They began playing the song over and over to get a feel for it, seeing if there were any changes that would need to be made to fit their individual styles. Scarily enough, there weren't.

* * *

A few days after they first saw the song, with non-stop work on it, the band entered the studio to record it, along with a few others. Jon still didn't seem completely at peace with the selection, for whatever reason, but was resigned to the fact it was a great song whenever Jace was singing.

After they finished their other songs, the band set up for the newest addition. As soon as everyone seemed set, Jace began singing, knowing everyone else would follow.

 _You'll never meet my mom, strings will never be attached  
We'll always get along, cause it doesn't have to last  
And anytime I call, you don't have to call me back  
I'm never gonna fall, but I'm never hard to catch!_

 _She says she's cool with it, she's down with it_  
 _There's nothing wrong with it, cause it's easier this way_  
 _She's so cool with it, she's down with it_  
 _There's nothing wrong with it, don't want it any other way!_

 _It's just your typical, hardcore, casual sex_  
 _We're single but we're lovers, crazy for each other_  
 _Just your typical, hardcore, casual sex_  
 _We're wild under the covers, crazy for each other!_

 _We don't have to go on dates, you don't have to like my friends_  
 _I won't get in your face when you're making other plans_  
 _If you're tired of the taste, you can try another blend_  
 _My heart will never break, I'm just here to break a sweat_

* * *

As soon as the song finished, Jon took off his guitar and left the studio in a huff. But just before he exited, Jace swore he heard him mutter, "I'm gonna kill her for this." Confused, yet again, Jace turned back around to Alec, apparently the only one with any clue as to what the hell was going on with their bandmate.

"Alright Alec, spill, what the hell is up with Jon? He's been a pain in the ass all week, and now he's all pissy over a song that even he admitted was good!"

Alec quickly turned away, pulling his bass off as an excuse, and shrugged as his response. "I don't know, but I'm sure he'll get over it. Hey wanna go by Pandemonium with me tonight? You've yet to see the burlesque show, and I have a feeling you'll like it," he added with a knowing grin. "You should come too, Jordan. Bring your girl, I bet she'd have fun, it's a great show."

He knew Alec was only trying to distract him from asking more questions about Jon, but if he went he would get more time to pressure his friend into revealing what he knew. With that in mind, Jace agreed to go. Besides, if he got to see more hot chicks, it wouldn't be so bad a night. He just hoped Kaelie didn't see him there, she was starting to get a bit too clingy, especially for a stripper. He just wanted to get laid, not start something serious.

* * *

 **AN: I'm still not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I wanted to get it out there for you guys. After this they'll go to the burlesque show, and more music will be included, but "Cherry" will also be back. Including some interaction with Jace finally!**

 **Thank you everyone for the reviews! I've been wanting to respond to them but FF isn't letting me for some weird reason that I'm trying to get fixed. So I see them, but only through the alerts. But I still appreciate them!**

 **One I do have to comment on though, oesteffel: your review made me bust out laughing, "nobody ever hides from Luke." I really want to make it Luke that's after her now, just because of your comment, but I'm not gonna change what I have. But thank you for the laugh and the review!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare and the song belongs to My Darkest Days.**


	7. Chapter 7 - Burlesque Part 1

**I'm slowly going back and fixing old chapters, but nothing major is changing. Tonight I updated Chapter 3, expanding on the lemon, since my friend threw a hissy fit over it being lame (which I agree) so let me know what you think.**

 **This chapter includes two songs by Panic! At the Disco: Victorious! and Emperor's New Clothes. Enjoy!**

* * *

They pulled up outside Pandemonium around 7:30, which felt super early for Jace, but Alec told him they had to get there early if they wanted good seats. The show didn't start until 8, and yet the line out the door was longer than he had ever seen it on a strip night, wrapping around the edge of the building and down the block. Luckily, thanks to Alec's "connections" with Magnus, they didn't have to wait in the line, walking right up to the door instead.

The bouncer at the door was carding everyone that entered, marking the hands of those under 21 so they couldn't get any alcohol at the bar. Jace and Alec walked up to the man with the bulging muscles, who started to glare at them as they approached. Jace started to slow his walk, not wanting to start anything with someone paid to be able to kick his ass. Unexpectedly, the man's glare turned into a bright smile as he made eye contact with Alec.

"Alec! How's the new album coming along?" the man greeted them, giving Alec the traditional man's half-handshake/half-hug, while stepping aside to let them pass to the doorway.

"It's coming along alright. What's the theme tonight, do you know? Mags wouldn't tell me, just said it was music, and that I better drag him along," Alec responded, with a thumb jerked back at Jace.

The man at the door just grinned back knowingly at the two of them, shaking his head. Apparently he wasn't willing to spill the secret his boss was keeping. Instead he just jerked his head towards the door, instructing them to head in. With a small chuckle they did so.

When he stepped inside, Jace was floored by the transformation. The club was now filled with tables and chairs, ready to accommodate a larger crowd. Gone were the glass tops, replaced with larger, sleek black tables. The lighting throughout the club was different as well, making everything feel more inviting. The room had never seemed like a typical strip club, but now there was no trace of the weekend activities at all, even the poles on stage had been removed.

Jace followed Alec to a booth in the middle of the far wall, and sat down, still taking in the scenery. A waitress walked over to take their order, and Jace did an embarrassing double take. She was one of the blonde strippers that always paired up with Kaelie, however tonight she was in far more clothing. Gone was the lingerie, and in its place she wore a skintight black one-piece that shimmered in the lights. He instantly felt dread that Kaelie might be there, which would undoubtedly lead to an uncomfortable refusal by Jace to avoid her clinginess. As he looked around he noticed all of the waitresses wearing the same outfits, each one looked good, but clearly the idea was to not pull focus from the show itself. He sighed in relief when none of them were her.

After ordering, Jace turned back toward Alec, determined to discover what he knew about Jon. "Spill." He demanded simply, giving Alec a look that told him he wouldn't be jerked around.

"What're you talking about?" Alex sighed, not even turning completely to look Jace in the eyes. Instead his eyes seemed to be searching the club. Whether he was looking for Jordan and his date, or simply a distraction, Jace wasn't sure. Either way, he was determined not to let it work.

"What the hell is up with Jon? I know you know something, so spill. I'm tired of walking on eggshells around the dude."

"He's fine," Alec waved him off, "Just stressed, and he hates when 'Lil Red' goes behind his back to share songs." Alec finished under his breath, clearly unaware that Jace still heard him.

Jace didn't believe for a minute that Jon was 'fine,' but the slip did remind him of his other curiosity, "Who is Lil Red anyways?"

Before he could answer, their drinks were brought over, followed by Jordan walking toward them with a girl in tow. Jace had never seen her before, but he assumed this was the girlfriend Jordan had suddenly gotten serious about. She was cute: dark hair, dark eyes, and semi-dark skin, just slightly darker than Jordan's. She was short too, quite a bit shorter than Jordan, course their difference in height wasn't quite what his and Cherry's was. At least he was assuming so, he had yet to stand up next to the red head to find out. Wait, why was he thinking about her again? How did his mind go from a room of hot women, and Jordan's cute girlfriend, to the red head he had yet to even talk to?

Jace shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and stood up to shake hands with his drummer. "Jace, Alec, this is Maia," Jordan introduced, smiling down at the girl next to him. "Maia, these are the guys from the band, Jace and Alec."

They greeted each other and took their seats just as the lights dimmed and a man took the stage. _So much for getting anything out of Alec,_ Jace thought.

"Meine Damen und Herren, wilkommen to Pandemonium!" Magnus began, standing in the middle of the stage, laughing with the crowd immediately. "I just love saying that, it never gets old quoting Cabaret. Welcome ladies and gentleman!" Jace chuckled at the ridiculous man, shaking his head. Magnus stood out even more so than usual, thanks to his sparkly black and red suit and the obvious addition of stage make-up. His hair was spiked like usual, but the tips were dyed red, matching the walls of the room. "We have a great show for you guys tonight, the ladies have been working hard to get this new show up and ready for you all, so we hope you enjoy. I see quite a few familiar faces, but for those of you that are new to us, let's quickly go over the rules. No grabbing the girls, no videos and no cameras. But most of all, have fun, and enjoy the show!"

And with that, the lights went out. When they came back up Jace noticed a band of guys on the corner of the stage nearest them. Five guys sat around with various instruments including a guitar, piano, small drum kit, and a pair of trumpets. Similar to the waitresses, all five guys wore the same outfits: black pants and black vests, heavy on the eyeliner. Clearly live music would be a part of the show, yet another difference from every other time he'd been there.

One of the men, a blonde, grabbed a guitar and stepped up to the mic while his band mates each set up to begin. Suddenly, girls could be heard from around the club; on stage, tables, and in the aisles, singing and clapping together before the band joined them.

 _Tonight we are victorious  
Champagne pouring over us  
All my friends we're glorious  
Tonight we are victorious_

A red head backed her way over to them, and Jace let out a breath of air as she turned to face them. He hadn't realized how badly he wanted to see her, until he realized this girl wasn't the girl he couldn't get off his mind. This one had straight hair a few shades too dark, she was taller and thinner. She was still hot as hell, especially in her blue and black corset and ruffled skirt, but she wasn't what he wanted.

She stalked to their corner, pulling out a chair to climb onto a nearby table, and proceeded to dance to the song, glancing his direction far more frequently than elsewhere. Jace watched her dance for a moment before scanning the club again, taking in several other girls dancing on tables, as well as the 3 on the main stage. All the girls were in different colored corsets with skirts of varying lengths.

The guitarist stepped up to the mic and took over singing for the girls. All of the band members smiled, clearly enjoying their work very much. Then again, who wouldn't.

 _Double bubble disco queen headed to the guillotine  
Skin as cool as Steve McQueen, let me be your killer king  
It hurts until it stops, we will love until it's not  
I'm a killing spree in white, eyes like broken Christmas lights_

As he looked around the room, he noticed all the girls were dancing in time together to a choreographed set off moves. They each began to remove their skirts in procession, allowing his eyes to sweep the room in a circle as he followed the moves. Each girl getting her own hit of the music.

 _My touch is black and poisonous  
And nothing like my punch-drunk kiss  
I know you need it, do you feel it  
Drink the water, drink the wine_

At last his gaze landed on a familiar body across the room. She was wearing a blood red and black corset that played off her skin and hair color dramatically, and he was instantly reminded of why he spent so much time with her. Clingy or not, Kaelie was sexy and knew how to move her body in all the right ways. He all of a sudden wasn't so sure he wanted to avoid her for the night. As long as she didn't try to claim him or some shit, he would be more than happy to take her to a back room.

* * *

Several songs later Jace had to admit, Alec was right, he was having fun. There had been several different acts already, including some _very_ flexible acrobatics, and a juggler that stripped while tossing balls in the air. So far the music was all from Panic! At the Disco. Clearly the theme for the night wasn't just music, but this band in particular, which seemed rather fitting.

There were several girls spread around the room again and the main stage was dark, with the exception of where the band played. The girls were all dressed in various black bras and boy shorts or other forms of lingerie. Jace caught sight of Kaelie a few tables over from him and watched her pose on top, waiting for the song to start.

 _Welcome to the end of eras  
Ice has melted back to life  
Done my time and served my sentence  
Dress me up and watch me die_

Her body curved above the table, drawing the eyes of those around her, as she ran her hands up and down her sides, locking eyes with Jace.

 _If it feels good, tastes good  
It must be mine  
Dynasty decapitated  
You just might see a ghost tonight_

The lights on stage lit up, drawing Jace's gaze instantly, along with most of the room. Alone in the center stood the tiny red head he'd been craving. Unlike the others, she wore a vibrant green corset with black lace falling around the bottom, forming the back of a skirt. Her red hair curled perfectly around her soft face and her eyes seemed to shine with the knowledge that all eyes were on her. She moved to the music and Jace forgot all about Kaelie, as well as every other girl in the room.

 _And if you don't know, now you know  
I'm taking back the crown  
I'm all dressed up and naked  
I see what's mine and take it  
(Finders keepers, losers weepers)  
Oh, yeah  
The crown...  
So close I can taste it  
I see what's mine and take it  
(Finders keepers, losers weepers)_

She began to slowly move down the steps of the stage, stepping in time with the music. It might have been the most erotic thing Jace had ever seen. When she looked at him through her lashes from across the room, he found it hard to breathe.

While the music continued, she made her way directly to their table, stopping in front of Jace. He had never been so grateful for sitting on the end of the booth as he was now, with her dancing between his legs, sliding up and down his body.

 _If it feels good, tastes good  
It must be mine  
Heroes always get remembered  
But you know legends never die_

She leaned into his ear and whispered the next words to him, stealing what little breath he had left. _  
And if you don't know, now you know_

And then she was gone, moving across the room, back towards the stage with most of the girls joining her. They all danced together through the rest of the song, and even though he could feel Kaelie's eyes on him, he couldn't take his gaze from Cherry.

* * *

 **Okay I'm ending this one here, this is already the longest chapter I've written, and there's still a lot left of this night. Sorry it took so long to get it up, I was really struggling for songs to inspire me for the burlesque scene, but it's going to be necessary to move forward with what I have planned.**

 **I don't have a beta, and I'm half asleep trying to edit this, so hopefully there aren't too many errors. I'll go back and fix it another time if there are.**

 **I'm trying not to put too many lyrics in my story, but I hear the songs and see the characters move, and just don't know how to explain it without them, so I'm sorry if they bug you, but I'm only putting what I think is necessary.**

 **Disclaimer: All Mortal Instruments characters belong to Cassandra Clare, and music belongs to Panic! At the Disco.**

 **Thank you everyone that has reviewed, followed and favorited this story, that's what helped me push through this tough chapter! So keep it up! Let me know what you think, good and bad!**

 **-BB**


	8. Chapter 8 - Burlesque Part 2

**Thank you everyone that has reviewed, followed and favorited this story. 35 Reviews already, I'm blown away! I wasn't sure many people would like this story, so I'm glad you guys do! It makes me more excited to write every time I hear a good song!**

 **This chapter features the song Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time by Panic! At the Disco**

 **Disclaimer: Song belongs to the band mentioned, and characters belong to Cassandra Clare, with the exception of my OC Matty!**

* * *

As soon as the song ended, the crowd cheered for the girls on stage. Jace clapped along with them, mesmerized by the girl standing in the center. His wonderment was cut short when she went behind the curtains with the rest of the girls, and he heard the rest of his table talking. He turned back to join in the conversation while a new act took the stage performing cheesy magic tricks with overly dramatic faces.

"Wow, this place is awesome!" Jordan laughed. He had his arm around his girl, Maia, and gazed down at her happily, matching the enthusiastic grin on her face as she nodded excitedly.

They fell into easy conversation, now that the background music was quieter so that the crowd could hear those on stage. The new girl seemed to fit in with them quite well, he had even seen her checking out a few of the girls, looking completely comfortable in this environment. He was happy for Jordan, he hadn't had anything too serious before, but he seemed to be enjoying himself and she didn't seem to hold him back or change him.

Just after they ordered another round of drinks, a flash of red and green bounced over to their table. She was even more breathtaking up close, even though he had thought that impossible. Once again she sported a brilliant smile that he had only ever seen once before, when she tackled Alec at the bar the last time they were this close. This time, however, her smile was directed at the middle of the table where Jordan sat, and Jace felt a flash of jealousy race through him. That was new. He never got jealous of his band mates, or any guys really. He knew he could have any chick he wanted, and if they would rather the others, they weren't worth his time. With this girl though, he was struggling to even get noticed, he assumed that must be why he was getting annoyed. He just wanted that smile pointed his way.

"Little M!" She shouted, catching him off guard. "What are you doing here?"

"Little C!" Maia shouted back, with a big grin. _Ah,_ he thought, _she was looking at_ Maia _, not Jordan._ He felt a sense of relief, but it was short lived when he realized yet another person knew her better than he did, and she still wasn't looking at him! "I didn't know you danced here, why didn't you tell me? I would have shown up long before now!"

Cherry took a seat on Alec's lap, throwing her arm around his neck. As if it was an automatic response, Alec wrapped his arm around her waist, securing her there. They looked so comfortable and natural together, Jace had to glance away so that the jealousy didn't show in his eyes when she finally decided to acknowledge his presence.

"We don't know what night I'm dancing until the show starts, so it's not really worth it to tell people," she shrugged in response. "But oooh!" she squealed, "you picked a great night to visit! You're gonna loooooove my next number, and you'll have plenty of ammo against Matty next time you see him!" She giggled after, and it was the cutest thing he had ever heard.

She was such a confusing combination of opposites. While on stage she was all sex appeal, forcing him to shift in his seat every few seconds in attempts to readjust himself and relieve some pressure, but off stage she was cute and sweet and _innocent_. Even sitting there, still in her green corset that had been pushed up against him just moments before, she managed to seem pure and wholesome.

He realized he was staring at her and tried to come back to reality, only to be met with a smirk and a pair of dark green eyes that appeared to have darkened since she first arrived at their table. "Heya Blondie, finally decided to see what happens- "

"Cherr!" She was cut off by someone annoyingly shouting her name. Figures, she finally starts talking to him, and they're interrupted, yet again. He still hadn't even spoken to her yet, it was getting ridiculous! He was always smooth with the ladies, as soon as the words poured past his lips, they were eating out of the palm of his hand, but with her he didn't even get a chance to speak!

Frustrated with the turn of events, he followed her gaze across the room to find the intruder with the annoying voice. He was met with a pair of flaming blue eyes. _Kaelie_. Of course. "Get your ass back stage, you're up next."

Cherry rolled her eyes and pulled herself out of Alec's lap, "She's the real crazy bitch," she muttered, causing Alec and Maia to snicker. She gave the table a small wave, and turned towards Jace with a small smile that looked like… disappointment? Before heading back to the front.

"You should probably have a chat with your friend over there, before she claws up Cherry, and I have to kick your ass for it." He snapped his head to Alec, who looked at him smugly. Jace grunted in response and placed his head in his hands.

How many times did he have to say it to get it through the damn girl's head? They weren't together! He knew he should have avoided her all together, but it was hard to turn down free sex with someone who knew what they were doing, especially when just seeing the little red head always left him hot and bothered.

The rest of the table started chatting again, but he tuned them out, watching the show instead, hoping he could spot the green eyes again. He was rewarded a couple minutes later as the lights dimmed down again, and all the dancers in the room cleared out. Up on stage the guitarist began playing again. The blonde made his way to the mic and started singing. Jace didn't know the song, but he heard Maia start laughing in recognition.

The curtains separated, revealing Cherry laying on a white lounger. She was wearing just a dark green lace bra and matching boy shorts. Her hair was a little messy, and she looked cute, more than seductive, but still sexy. She started to rise, as the blonde sang the beginning of the song.

( **Matt singing,** _Cherry singing)_

 **Alright, alright. Alright, alright.  
Alright, alright, it's a hell of a feeling though  
It's a hell of a feeling though  
Alright, alright, it's a hell of a feeling though  
It's a hell of a feeling though**

The voice changed and he froze in his seat. She looked around nervously at first, before laughing it off with the lyrics. Her voice was amazing, even though she clearly was just having fun and not seriously singing.

 _Who are these people?  
I just woke up in my underwear  
No liquor left on the shelf  
I should probably introduce myself  
You shoulda seen what I wore  
I had a cane and a party hat  
I was the queen of this hologram  
Where there's no such thing as getting out of hand  
Memories tend to just pop up  
Drunk pre-meds and some rubber gloves  
Five-thousand people with designer drugs  
Don't think I'll ever get enough  
_ **(Don't think I'll ever get enough!)** _  
_  
She moved across the stage then, and stood next to the guitarist, dancing up against him in ways that made Jace wish they could change places. When they started singing the chorus together, Jace knew he had real competition. Their voices meshed perfectly, even with the silly words. And more importantly, they were clearly having _fun._  
 _  
_ _ **Champagne, cocaine, gasoline  
And most things in between  
I roam the city in a shopping cart  
A pack of camels and a smoke alarm  
This night is heating up  
Raise hell and turn it up  
Saying, "If you go out you might pass out in a drain pipe."  
**_ **Oh, yeah, Don't threaten me with a good time**

 **It's a hell of a feeling though (x2)  
Alright, alright  
It's a hell of a feeling though (x2)  
** _  
What are these footprints?  
They don't look very human like  
Now I wish that I could find my clothes  
Bed sheets and a morning rose  
I wanna wake up  
Can't even tell if this is a dream  
How did we end up in my neighbor's pool  
Upside down with a perfect view?  
Bar to bar at the speed of sound  
Fancy feet dancing through this town  
Lost my mind in a wedding gown  
Don't think I'll ever get it now  
_ **(don't think I'll ever get it now)**

The pair on stage locked eyes, and with big grins on their faces they continued on together. Jace felt like he was intruding on a private moment. Just watching their interaction made him feel like he was losing the girl. And then he was harshly reminded that he didn't even have the girl _to_ lose her. How was it fair that the two of them could be so comfortable together on stage, when Jace couldn't even say hi to her. He felt all of his chances diminish with each new line they sang together.

 ** _Champagne, cocaine, gasoline  
And most things in between  
I roam the city in a shopping cart  
A pack of camels and a smoke alarm  
This night is heating up  
Raise hell and turn it up  
Saying, "If you go out you might pass out in a drain pipe."  
Oh, yeah  
_** **Don't threaten me with a good time**

Cherry stepped away from the mic then, moving to blend in with the band, letting the blonde be the focus of the crowd. He stopped playing to grab the mic with both hands, winking at the crowd and getting into the song even more.

 **I'm a scholar and a gentleman  
And I usually don't fall when I try to stand  
I lost a bet to a guy in a Chiffon skirt  
But I make these high heels work  
I've told you time and time again  
I'm not as think as you drunk I am  
And we all fell down  
When the sun came up  
I think we've had enough**

When the song finally ended, the pair on stage laughed and smiled brightly at each other, hugging, before separating to go back stage. The crowd cheered, laughing at the crazy song, and he could hear Maia hollering at them both.

She really did have an amazing voice, and he wished he could hear her sing more, but the whole experience had felt tainted by her interactions with the man on stage. Competing with Sebastian for her attention was one thing, he knew her and Seb weren't serious if he didn't know her name either. But this guy, they were obviously comfortable around each other, and he could see how his eyes sparkled when he looked at her. This wasn't an opposition he was sure he could beat.

He quietly sulked in his seat through several more acts, torn between wanting to leave and hoping she would come back out so they could finally talk. In the end he didn't get to see her, and Alec suggested they go back to his place to have a few more drinks and hang out with his sister Izzy. Maia jumped up excitedly to agree, so they all headed out.

He knew he should probably talk to Kaelie before they left, to clear shit up, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with the clingy clueless chick. He figured not going home with her for once would have to be enough of a hint for her. He really should have cleared it up.

* * *

 **AN: So as much as I keep saying I won't include full songs; I just can't help it! I kept picturing them singing in my head and it was too awesome to not write it all out, but then I couldn't explain it all without it being like 5k words, so I shortened it… Sorry!**

 **So here we have minimal Clace interaction, but it's coming, I promise! I was going to have a little more at the show, but decided to have it elsewhere, in a different way.**

 **So there's a new guy in the running for Cherry, and more people who know her! Poor Jace.**

 **Let me know what you guys think! What do you like? what do you hate? Are the lyrics too much? Let me know!**


	9. Chapter 9 - Clary

**This chapter includes lyrics from Move your Body – My Darkest Days**

 **Disclaimer: All TMI characters belong to Cassandra Clare, music belongs to My Darkest Days.**

* * *

Matt and Simon were sitting on the couch watching them, as Clary and Izzy danced in the middle of the living room. Normally, Clary and Matt went out drinking with the rest of the boys after a burlesque night, but Izzy was determined to spend the evening with her friend. She was even more determined for her to finally meet a certain other blonde god.

Matt was hot, Izzy was willing to admit it. He was tall, just over 6 foot, with short spiky blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He was lean, but still strong enough to shove away guys that got to close to Clare. And he clearly was in love with her best friend, but Clary didn't seem to return the feelings. At least not to the same extent. Then again, Clary had yet to fall in love with anyone in the 7 years Izzy had known her. Sure she dated a lot, the spitfire was never without some guy chasing her, but she never chased back. Matt was the only one to have even made it past 2 months, and that was only because they were never officially dating.

Izzy was getting to the point where she didn't care who Clary fell for, she just wanted her friend to finally feel even a fraction of what she felt for Simon. Now that was love. She still didn't know when it happened, because angel knows she didn't feel like that for him in the beginning, but now he encompassed her whole world.

When Isabelle first met Clary as juniors in high school, the red head was already best friends with Simon. The pair were near inseparable; Clary would spend all her time with Simon and his band. She was always full of life around the guys, drawing attention to herself without ever trying, but as soon as she stepped away from all of the boys, such as in class where Izzy would see her, Clary would sink into herself and do her best to go unnoticed. It took several months for Izzy to get the girl to finally feel comfortable enough to even talk to her. It wasn't until their senior year that Clary finally spent time with her outside of school. Even longer until she was willing to go to the Lightwood house to meet her family. Of course by that point she had finally at least wrestled out of Simon that Clary didn't really have a home of her own, which was why she didn't like to visit others. She spent most nights at Simon's, Izzy still had no clue where she had slept the rest of the time.

After a couple years of being friends, Clary was finally close to not only Izzy, but her brother Alec. The two of them, along with Simon, were the only ones who knew about her past and why she had such strict rules for herself. It became their job to keep an eye on her, make sure she was always safe, and more importantly for Izzy, happy.

So Izzy was determined to get the girl to start falling for _somebody_. If it was Matt, that would be awesome, the two were already insanely close and good together. But if it was someone else… say another blonde god Izzy was close to, she would be more than happy with that too.

All of that was why, on a weeknight that she usually didn't get to see her, Izzy demanded that Clary come over to Alec's house to spend time with her, knowing Matt would tag along like usual. That was also why Iz dropped hints to Alec that he should bring over his bandmate for a drink. After all, Clary _really_ had a thing for musicians.

"You're insane, Clary," Simon gaped from the couch. "How can you still have the energy to keep dancing after the show from earlier? It's been an hour and you haven't stopped! Even Izzy looks like she's getting tired."

Both girls stopped dancing immediately and put their hands on their hips, staring down the boy. Izzy laughed in her head while keeping an ice cold exterior, she could always count on Clary to have her back. "Did you really just say your girlfriend looks tired?" Clary demanded while Izzy lifted an eyebrow at him. "Wow, you must _really_ not want to ever get laid again."

They continued to just stare him down while Matt snickered next to him, enjoying his suffering a bit too much. "I-I-I- That's not what I meant!" Simon stuttered back. He was always so cute when he got flustered, she loved it. "She looks great – You look great!" He quickly corrected and looked at her before glancing back to his bestie. "I just meant that even she can't usually dance for this long non-stop, and yet you keep going! Stop getting me in trouble! And _you_ ," He turned to face Matt who was still trying to cover his laughs, "you're not helping!"

The girls finally cracked and started laughing. Izzy fell on Simon's lap to calm his nerves, and because her feet _were_ starting to hurt, if she was being honest. But Clary just kept on dancing, not caring that she was alone. She was having fun and that's what mattered.

The song changed to one from her brother's band and they started cheering as Clary continued dancing, losing herself in the music.

* * *

 _Jace POV_

Jace was excited to get to spend time with Isabelle for the night. He hadn't seen her in a little over a month, which wasn't too unusual, but he still missed her. She was like the little sister he never had, and probably the only person he would be willing to talk through his frustrations with in regards to the elusive Cherry.

He pulled into the roundabout driveway with Alec, noting a couple cars he didn't recognize parked in front. When they got out of his car he looked at his friend questioningly, but just got a shrug in return. Figuring it was probably just Izzy's boyfriend he kept hearing about, but had yet to meet, he made his way to the front door.

Alec had a large house, just like he did, so they had no idea where Izzy was when they first walked in. They made their way to the kitchen to grab a couple beers, before heading off to find her. They knew better than to bother waiting for Jordan and Maia to show up, they would be a while and they'd just walk in when they got there anyways. As they started walking down a hallway, they could hear music coming from the other end of the house. Assuming she was in the living room, the pair headed towards the sound. The closer they got, the more distinguishable the music became, and Jace was shocked for a split second when he heard his own voice coming from the room. Since when did Izzy listen to their music for fun?

He slowly made his way into the room behind Alec, a little nervous of just what he would find. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. Alec had made his way over to a chair, while Izzy sat on the sofa with two guys, one with brown hair and glasses, and the other blonde. He looked suspiciously like the guitarist from the Burlesque show they had just left. But before he could think about it too much, his eyes were drawn to the center of the room.

Dancing alone in the middle, with all eyes on her, was the little red head he'd been unsuccessfully chasing. Cherry. Gone was her corset and skirt from the club, and in its place she wore a pair of super tight dark wash jeans and a simple black tank top. Her curls bounced around her face as she moved her head side to side with the music. When she turned his way, he noticed her eyes were closed like she was completely immersed in the music. His music. _His voice_.

Spotting him standing there staring, Izzy got up and joined the sexy red head, the two of them dancing up against each other while all the boys watched hungrily. In the back of his mind he noted Alec snickering in the chair, shaking his head at them, but it didn't register over the scene in front of him. Even though he wrote it long before he ever met her, it was like the song was made for her.

 _Then just for fun you take your tongue and run it over my lip  
And gotta love the way she does it for the hell of it  
We're in positions that most people only say they know  
You got hand right on a landmine ready to blow_

Suddenly the girls stopped dancing and he feared he'd been caught. Instead, the red head had just stopped to belt out the next line, before resuming her dancing.

 _But the devil can hear you when you say_

 _C'mon and get up (Get up)_  
 _Move your body, use your body_  
 _Lose control_  
 _Rub it right up (Back up)_  
 _Against my body_  
 _Take my body, make it yours (So get up)_  
 _We're gonna light this room on fire_  
 _Yeah you and I will burn it up tonight (So get up)_  
 _The two of us are gonna fuel this fire_  
 _No way in hell we're slowing down tonight_

As the song continued he got lost in the view. Watching her dance was always mesmerizing, but knowing it was his song and voice that made her get lost, well that was the greatest feeling ever. He wanted to create more songs just for the sole purpose of watching her like this, completely immersed.

"Damn girl, I didn't know you liked our music so much." Alec winked at her, speaking as soon as the song ended. A new song started up, but it was quickly turned down and forgotten as she bounced over to him and threw herself on his lap.

"Alec! Twice in one night? I didn't know you'd be here already!" She spoke excitedly. "And you know I love your music. You guys are awesome, how could I not?" As the two conversed a bit more Jace finally peeled himself from the doorway, entering the room more fully and taking a seat on the smaller sofa still unoccupied. He tried to tell himself he chose to sit there so he could spread out, but even he knew it was purely in hopes she'd take the available seat next to him.

"Does that mean you'll finally go to one of our shows? Just hangout back stage with Izzy," Jace watched as she started to bite her lower lip in thoughtful worry, while Alec pleaded his case, looking at the guys on the sofa. "You can even bring the guys if it makes you feel better."

Jace followed her line of sight as she glanced at the two boys, staying longer on the blonde. He had secretly hoped the blonde was Izzy's boyfriend, but since she had taken a seat on the other one's lap, he feared he wasn't so lucky. Cherry was clearly close to both guys, but there was something more between her and the blonde. The boys both gave her soft kind smiles, saying it was her choice.

She started to smile for a moment before it dropped and she looked down at her hands. She got up and moved over to sit between the two boys before looking back at Alec and continuing. "That sounds great, and I would love to, but I don't think Jon was be very happy about it."

Jace furrowed his brows in confusion, trying to figure out who Jon was and why he'd care. He started to question if it could possibly be Jon from the band, it would explain his weird behavior after seeing the video… Before his thoughts could get too far though, Alec sighed loudly and continued.

"I'm sure he'd be fine with it. He misses you, ya know. He's just trying to keep you safe."

She rolled her eyes in response and the blonde wrapped his arm around her, squeezing her shoulder. Jace was momentarily brought out of his confusion at the conversation, as a pang of jealousy rang through him. He stared at the guy's hand while the words spoken only vaguely registered.

"Well he does a shitty job of showing it. Other than when he called to yell at me, we haven't spoken in 6 months. He stopped caring unless I'm a nuisance." Her words started out with so much bitterness and anger, but by the ended she just sounded sad and defeated. She leaned her head into the guy's chest as she took a big breath and spoke, just above a whisper, "I just want him back. He's all I have left."

Izzy stood and grabbed the red heads arms, lifting her up to give her a hug. "No he's not, Clary, you still have us. You'll always have us."

"She's right, Red." Alec added with a soft smile, before standing and walking towards the door. "But enough of this, let's get some more drinks and get back to the fun. I plan to be drunk by the time the glittery one gets home."

Jace stayed seated as everyone made their way back across the house to the kitchen. He was lost in thought, trying to untangle everything he had just learned. The last 5 minutes had been filled with more information than he had learned in the whole last month since he first spotted the cute red head. She knew a Jon; was it the same Jon he knew? And apparently they had been pretty close, but weren't anymore. There was obviously something going on with the other blonde, which just made the Jon conversation more confusing. And he was supposedly trying to keep her safe… safe from what though?

"I finally get you alone, and you still won't even say hi to me?" He was brought out of his head by a pair of deep green eyes and pouty lips. It suddenly registered that while everyone else had left, she stayed behind. They were alone, no one to interrupt or steal her attention.

She continued to look at him, her playful pout transforming into a smirk with his continuing stare. "You know, as a famous rocker, I believe it's the girl that's supposed to be overwhelmed into silence, not you."

He couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped him. She was cute and funny.

"Hey, I'm Jace." He began, ecstatic over the small victory that was finally speaking to her, and without any waver in his voice.

"I know," she replied with a grin. "I'm Clary."

* * *

 **AN: Wow, longest chapter yet, and fewer lyrics!**

 **This chapter was a bit hard to write, my mind keeps focusing on stuff later, and I don't know how to get there yet, so hopefully this turned out okay.**

 **We got a small look into Clary's past, and her "relationship" with Matt. And Jace finally got her name! Woohoo! No more referring to her as Cherry the whole time. Which I think I'm more grateful for that than Jace is, it was exhausting remembering to not put her name.**

 **Let me know what you guys think! We're up to 42 reviews, 74 followers and 24 favorites. I can't believe it, that's insane to me in the best ways. Thank you everyone! The more reviews and alerts I read, the more excited I get to write this story, so keep them coming!  
**

 **-BB**


	10. Chapter 10 - I Prefer Guitarists

**Disclaimer: All TMI characters belong to Cassandra Clare. Matt's all mine.**

As soon as the other blonde had walked in, he'd known how the night was going to play out. Clary had been one of his best friends long enough for him to know when she was interested in a guy. Sadly, he'd also been in love with her long enough to know how to deal with watching it all unfold. He never got angry. He never got bitter. He never even avoided being around her new interest. All Matt really wanted was for Clary to be happy, whether it was with him, or someone else.

He knew Jace Herondale's reputation, as well as the truth behind it all. After all, his exploits were always plastered all over the gossip sites, being a famous rock star and all, plus whenever Alec got drunk he liked to complain about him and Jon disappearing with countless women. _Normally,_ Matt might be inclined to warn his close friend to steer clear of such a guy and protect her heart. But everyone knew Clary was a force to be reckoned with, and didn't need protecting. At least not from love.

Honestly, Clary was almost as bad as the two rock stars. Between her natural charm, and her night jobs, she went through men constantly. She rarely "dated" and when she did, it never lasted more than a couple months. She didn't bother sticking with just one at a time usually either. Hell, currently she was sleeping with Sebastian on weekends, random guys she picked up at bars throughout the week, and himself, when the mood struck her.

She knew he loved her. Hell, everyone knew he loved her. And he knew she didn't love him back, at least not in the same way. But he also knew she wasn't using him, at least not intentionally. She just needed to feel connected to people, and sex was the safest way in her mind to do so without having to trust people.

But she did trust Matt. He knew things about her most didn't, not to the extent of Simon, Izzy and Alec, but still more than their other friends. All their friends knew she was hiding from someone, but he actually knew from whom, even if he didn't know why. He also knew about Jon and why they didn't see each other anymore. On that front, he might even know more than Clary, since Jon called him semi-regularly to check up on her, without her knowing of course. But he was okay being his eyes and ears on the girl, all Jon wanted was for her to be safe and happy. That's all Matt wanted too.

So when he saw Jace Herondale, rock god and womanizer, staring at Clary as she danced to his own song, Matt wasn't upset or angry, or even jealous. Okay, maybe he was a tiny bit jealous, but not enough to cause any problems. He just accepted what would happen and hoped she would be happy at least for a short while, knowing he would be there for her after.

* * *

After a couple minutes passed of awkward quiet smiles, during which Jace still found himself too in awe of finally learning the name of the girl to be able to speak, she began again, breaking the silence. "It's nice to finally put a face to all the hilarious stories Alec likes to share from the road. Well, a face in person that is. I've learned not to trust pictures I see on the internet" She added with a wink.

Jace chuckled a little at her comment, before her remark processed through his mind, "Wait…" His eyebrows shot to the top of his face and he stared at her worriedly, "what stories?"

Instead of answering him however, she just laughed at his concern before turning and walking towards the door. He was nervous at the thought of some of the stuff Alec might have shared, as his mind began racing through the possibilities. He didn't notice her turn and walk away until she called out and he looked up at her.

"Hey, you gonna join in the fun, or stay in here thinking the whole night?"

Without any more hesitation, Jace followed her out of the room and over to the kitchen where everyone else had moved to get fresh drinks. When they got there, he saw that Jordan and Maia had arrived and already started drinking.

Jordan stood at the far end of the kitchen, leaning against the counter, talking to Alec who was leaning next to him. Across from them, sitting on the opposite counter, were Maia and Izzy, talking like they were old friends. Simon was standing between Izzy's legs, bouncing between conversations with the girls and Matt, who was standing on the other side of him.

It seemed Jace was the only person there who didn't already know everyone, and he immediately felt like he was barging in on some private club. Normally he would just place himself in the middle of a conversation, pulling attention to himself, and immediately be welcomed in, but he had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn't work with these people.

So instead of trying to fit in, he went to stand next to Alec, after nodding a hello to Jordan. While he moved to one side of the kitchen, he noticed Clary move to the other, hopping on the counter between Simon and Matt. Rather than engaging in any of the conversations like Jace expected, she simply laid her head on Matt's shoulder, which he reciprocated without breaking discussion with Simon, and watched all her friends talking with a contented smile on her lips.

"Okay spill, Red, how do you know Maia?" Jace looked over to Jordan as his friend questioned the red head with squinting eyes. "She refused to tell me in the car."

Then the whole room went silent, and the 5 on the other side all exchanged nervous glances, apparently debating on what to share, before all the girls burst into giggles.

"Maia is a groupie." Clary giggled, shocking the 3 opposing boys, and apparently the girl in question as well, who just gasped at the statement.

"Am not!"

"Oh you totally are," Izzy cut in, looking at her with a giant grin on her face. "Stalker status even. Better watch out Jordan, this one reeeeeeeally likes the drums" She winked up at Jordan who just stood there with his mouth open, until collecting himself back into a smirk.

Maia's face had turned bright red at this and she smacked Izzy's arm in return. "I went to TWO shows! And even then, I spent more time with you two," she pointed at the two girls before continuing, refusing to look at the other 3 in the room, "than Dylan. He's the one that kept hitting on me!"

To that Matt, Simon and Clary burst out laughing while the other two girls along with Alec looked amused but confused. Jace and Jordan just listened awkwardly, trying to follow along as Matt looked straight at Alec before explaining, "We may have told Dylan she was interested, just really shy, and he needed to try a little harder."

Maia quickly back-handed Simon's arm while Izzy slapped Matt's. Clary just kept on laughing with her head thrown back, while both boys cried out together, "It was Clary's idea!"

When everyone turned to stare at the small girl she didn't even attempt to look remorseful, simply shrugged and offered by way of explanation, "What? That boy needed to get laid." When Izzy and Alec quirked their brows at her she grinned and looked at Jace, "And everyone knows I prefer guitarists."

Between the stare and the confession, Jace instantly felt his chances with her improve. It was only when he remembered the others in the room that he realized that most definitely included Matt, who he had already seen play. Any hopes that those two were just good friends seemed to dwindle by the minute, especially when she started playing with the other blonde's hair as they all continued talking. He wanted to listen and join in, but he was too stuck in his own head. He was starting to get annoyed at the possibility that she was just playing with him. Clearly she was involved with the other guy already. Then those thoughts reminded him of Sebastian, another guitarist she had already confessed to screwing around with. Which then brought him back to the name mentioned earlier. _Jon._ Were they involved as well? Jon played the guitar too, so it would fit. How many guitarists had she been with? Did he really stand a chance? Better question, did he still want one?

Yes. Yes, he did. More than anything right then, he wanted her to be so focused on him, she forgot about all the others.

With that decision made, he tuned back into the conversation to try and find a way in. All the guys seemed to be talking about music, while the girls were discussing… clothes? How the hell was he supposed to get in on that discussion?

Just as he was about to join the guys, his phone went off. Alec and Clary both glanced at him while he pulled it out, looking at the caller id. _Unknown Number_. He figured answering it would give him a few minutes to find a way into one of the talks, so he started to make his way out of the room, accepting the call.

"Hello?"

" _Jace! Why'd you leave so soon tonight? I was so excited to see you; I was hoping you'd come over for some fun."_ A nasally high-pitched voice yelled out to him, stopping him dead in his tracks in the entry to the kitchen.

"Kaelie? How the hell'd you get this number?"

* * *

 **AN: I am sooo sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. It has been a hectic week and I've been sick on top of it. AND, it just didn't want to be written. I tried to give you guys some interaction between Clace, but I just wasn't feeling it, so the next chapter will pick up a few days later at least, but there will be some explanation of things.**

 **So how are you all feeling about Matt? Clary? She's not too likable at the moment, but hopefully she will be later. Tell me what you think, and any questions, I'll try to answer.  
**

 **Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites, they've been great to see, and I've tried to work really hard on this chapter because of them, so keep them coming!**

 **On a side note, anyone watch GoT? I have no one to gush with and OMG... last week... I was in tears. Someone cry with me!**

 **Happy Memorial Day to all the US folks. Enjoy the extra day off, and be safe!**

 **-BB**


	11. Chapter 11 - Save Yourself

**AN:**

 **I am sooo sorry it has taken so long to update; I feel horrible about it! I've had major writer's block in addition to stress from school ending and looking for a job. On the bright side, I should have lots of time to update this story soon, so hopefully there won't be as long of a wait for it.**

 **Thank you everyone that has reviewed, followed and favorited this story!**

 **Disclaimer: All Characters belong to Cassandra Clary (except Matt, who is all mine). Song and lyrics belong to My Darkest Days.**

 **Song featured: My Darkest Days – Save Yourself**

* * *

As seemed to be happening a lot lately, Jace's night didn't end how he'd hoped.

After arguing on the phone with Kaelie over how she'd gotten his number, which she refused to explain, and repeatedly clarifying that she was just a hook-up, which she'd refused to believe, Jace was thoroughly annoyed and in desperate need of entertainment. And a beer. Or whiskey. Yeah, whiskey was good.

When it had become clear that their "conversation" wouldn't be a quick one, Jace had walked outside to the front of the house, pacing on the porch. 45 minutes of bickering with the crazy stripper later, he was finally able to head back inside. Jace immediately headed back into the kitchen to get himself a drink and hopefully rejoin the group. Instead, he walked in to find the room empty and voices trailing from the back of the house.

After pouring himself a generous glass of whiskey, Jace headed over to join the others. Jordan sat in a chair on the far side of the room, with Maia on his lap, talking to Alec in the chair next to him. On the couch sat Simon and Izzy, well Simon was sitting on the couch, Izzy was on top of him. And finally was the girl he was most interested in being next to, Clary sat on the floor in the middle of the room, watching everyone talk with a soft smile on her face. Once again, she appeared more content in the role of observation than the center of attention.

She looked over to him in the doorway, and he swore her smile brightened a little bit more. Just as he started to make his way into the room to sit next to her, Matt entered from another door, crushing his final hopes for the night.

"Dylan just called. We got the space, but we gotta go now. Tyler's gonna meet us there."

Much to his surprise, both Simon _and_ Clary got up immediately. Izzy looked over at Matt, clearly annoyed by the turn of events, gave Simon a quick kiss, then turned her sights on the red head in the center of the room. Clary had bounced up excitedly, with a giant grin on her face, ready to leave, when Isabelle snatched her arm. "You promised you were mine tonight." Then quietly, so that no one else could hear, except Jace who was paying far too close attention, "How am I supposed to watch you when you're not here."

The excitement slowly dropped from Clary's face as she turned to face her friend. "I know Iz, but you know how hard it is for us to get time to all be together, I need this." Then her face lit up with a mischievous smirk as she continued, "And I'll be with 3 big guys plus Simon," at which point Simon shouted out a simple "Hey!" in indignation, "no one's gonna mess with me. Hell guys don't even approach me with my boys around."

By the time she had finished Izzy had relaxed a bit and let go of her arm. Clary then made her way over to Matt and told everyone good night. As the three of them were leaving the room, Clary glanced back over her shoulder at Jace and gave him a small smile, before she disappeared out of sight. Again.

The night didn't last much longer for him. After unsuccessfully trying to squeeze any information from the siblings, and realizing that Maia had little to nothing to share of her own knowledge about the small red headed enigma, Jace decided to call it a night. By the time he got home he had a text waiting for him that made his night a little better.

 _Here's Clary's #, just don't tell her you got it from me. Be patient with her. – Matt._

Jace was a bit shocked that Matt of all people was encouraging him, but immediately saved the number into his phone anyways, planning on messaging her in the morning.

* * *

Jace spent the rest of the week working with the band on some new songs. He had messaged Clary a few times, finally able to get back to his normal self now that her emerald eyes weren't boring into him and distracting him. However, his normal lines didn't seem to gain him much traction, she just laughed off all his advances, grading his attempts on a 1-10 scale. His attempts to smooth talk her into bed quickly changed to friendly banter that left him with a smile on his face the rest of the day.

By the time the weekend rolled around, he was excited to go back to Pandemonium to see her in person, even better yet, on stage. All his plans changed, however, Friday afternoon when the band was getting ready to leave. Jon had been in a weird funk the last few weeks: sulking more than usual, not spending time outside of the studio with the boys, and not going near any girls. Jace was getting concerned. Instead of heading out with Alec, he decided to look for his other best friend, finding him sitting in the studio by himself listening to some of their old songs.

Jace was caught off guard when the next song played and it was one of their first. He tried to remember back to when they wrote it, trying to figure out why Jon would be listening to a song from 5 years before. As he heard his own voice through the speakers he finally remembered. Jon wrote it, but he never did learn who it was about.

 _I'm the devil's son straight out of hell  
And you're an angel with a haunted heart  
If you were smart you'd run and protect yourself  
From the demon living in the dark  
There's nothing to be gained cause I can never change  
And you can never understand my sickness  
(I'll never understand my sickness)_

Save yourself  
From a life full of lies and a heart full of pain and sorrow  
Save yourself  
From the choices I make cause nothing but failure follows me  
Save yourself

You're the perfect drug when it hurts like hell  
I've never needed anyone so much  
There's no-one else I love and I curse myself  
Cause the right thing is to give you up

 _I'm overcome by shame cause I can never change  
And you can never understand my sickness  
(I'll never understand my sickness)_

After hearing Jon's voice through the speakers of the last line, Jace decided it was time to interrupt. He needed to know what was wrong with Jon. He needed to get his friend back, but he couldn't do that without finding out what was wrong. The problem was, Jon was never that open of a person.

"So what's with the trip down memory lane?" Jace asked, giving a false smirk when he saw Jon jump. Just how deep into the past was he?

Jon quickly turned the music down so they could talk, but purposely didn't turn it off. It would have been too obvious if he did that, and they both knew it. Jace still saw the flash of emotion in his eyes though, before Jon schooled his features back into a mask of indifference.

"Some chick I picked up the other night mentioned the song, I was just trying to remember what the hell it was even about." Jon followed his explanation with a quick fake laugh. Everything at the moment seemed to be fake, worrying Jace even more.

"Hmm, remember yet?" Jon slowly shook his head, looking back towards the speakers that continued to play the song. "Well I never knew, so can't help ya there." A few minutes of silence stretched between them as the song finally ended. Finally getting tired of the awkward silence between him and one of his best friends, Jace decided to change tactics.

"Well I'm in need of a night of fun, care to join?"

Jon looked over at him with a smirk that finally met his eyes, "Sorry buddy, can't go to your new fav club. You're gonna have to meet that stripper girlfriend of yours all by your lonesome. What's her name again? Kelly? Kayla?"

Jace visibly shook as he cringed at the thought of Kaelie. Despite their _long_ conversation previously, she still had not gotten the concept that they were not dating. He needed to find some way to get it through her head, and soon.

"Kaelie, and ugh, not my girlfriend." Jace shook again in disgust, much to Jon's amusement. "Just an easy lay who won't stay away. Anyways, I figured we could head somewhere else."

The guys spent the whole weekend together. Friday night they left the studio and headed to a local bar. At the familiar atmosphere, Jon quickly returned to his typical state of mind, and the pair picked up multiple girls to play around with. The ladies never could seem to resist either guy, but together they didn't even have to try.

* * *

 **Special shout-out to** staticisintheair **who is constantly sending me music for this fic which is a constant gentle reminder to get my ass back to it. Plus, just plain awesome music!**

 **Also to** SereneCalamity **who has sent a lot of people my way. She's one of my favorite authors on here and her stories kept me sane last semester, so I fangirled pretty hard when I saw her rec in her stories.**

 **Please review, I love to hear what you guys think!  
**


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